【X-Deal (2011)】

Connectionsis the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The X-Deal (2011)game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connectionsresets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connectionssolution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Timescredits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connectionscan be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Safe haven

• Green: Sports equipment

• Blue: Types of candy

• Purple: Songs titled with "free"

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Sanctuary

• Green: Football Gear

• Blue: Candy Names

• Purple: "Free___"

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #539 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Sanctuary: HAVEN, PORT, RETREAT, SHELTER

• Football Gear: CLEATS, HELMET, JERSEY, PADS

• Candy Names: CHARMS, KINDER, WONKA, YORK

• "Free___": BIRD, FALLIN', SOLO, WILLY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connectionsfor you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!Check out our games hubfor Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.